July 14, 2023 -- AIDS could be ended as a public health threat by 2030 if political leaders follow the science, invest enough money, and confront inequalities, a reportfrom a United Nations agency says.
New HIV infections have been reduced by 57% since 2010 in eastern and southern Africa, where governments have invested heavily in anti-AIDS programs, said a news release from UNAIDS that accompanied the report. About 82% of pregnant and breastfeeding women living with HIV globally had access to antiretroviral treatments in 2022, up from 46% in 2010. That led to a 58% drop in new HIV infections among children from 2010 to 2022.
“Ending AIDS is a political and financial choice, and … the countries and leaders who are already following the path are achieving extraordinary results,” said a news release from UNAIDS that accompanied the report.
Indeed: The report said Botswana, Eswatini, Rwanda, the United Republic of Tanzania, and Zimbabwe have already achieved their “95-95-95” targets. That means 95% of people with HIV know their HIV status, 95% who know they’re living with HIV are on lifesaving antiretroviral treatment, and 95% of people in treatment are virally suppressed.
The number of new HIV cases is rising in Asia, the Pacific, Central Europe, and North Africa, UNAIDS said. Those increases are caused by cuts in AIDS funding, a lack of HIV prevention services for marginalized groups, and the barriers created by punitive laws and social discrimination. Women and girls are still disproportionately affected by AIDS, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.
In 2022, 39 million people were living with HIV and 630,000 people died of AIDS-related illnesses, UNAIDS said. The number of deaths had dropped from about 2 million in 2004 and 1.3 million in 2010. About 40 million people have died of AIDS-related illnesses since the start of the epidemic.
“The end of AIDS is an opportunity for a uniquely powerful legacy for today’s leaders,” said Winnie Byanyima, executive director of UNAIDS. “They could be remembered by future generations as those who put a stop to the world’s deadliest pandemic. They could save millions of lives and protect the health of everyone. They could show what leadership can do.”
